The Memories
by Courtney in real life
Summary: Before Courtney decides to throw her box of Duncan memories into the fire, she decides to look at them one last time. Also, Duncan and Gwen realize something about their relationship.
1. Prologue

**HEY GUYS! I'M BACK! I PROMISE THAT I'LL TRY TO WRITE BETTER STORIES (MY OTHER ONES AREN'T GOOD AT ALL). ANYWAYS ENJOY!  
**

* * *

**_Set after Total Drama World Tour_  
**

Courtney's POV

Chris told us that we weren't needed for next season since a whole new crew was coming. However, we couldn't go home yet because he still needed us for the seasons that come after (if the budget's still there). So, instead of going home so that I could forget about my heartless ex-boyfriend, Duncan, and my ex-kind-of friend, Gwen, I had to stay with them in Playa Des Losers. Fantastic.

Geoff, amazingly not making out with Bridgette, decided to throw a huge party there since we didn't have to suffer through the next season. And, of course, since Geoff threw the party, it was wild but amazing.

Ezekiel (back to his normal self) was chilling at the hot tub trying to convince other people how "cool" he was with Owen. Katie, Sadie, Noah, Cody, Trent, and Sierra were sitting at the snack bar. Cody and Sierra were talking while Trent played the guitar which made Katie and Sadie basically drool. Eva, Noah, Justin, and DJ were by the food table making small talk. Harold was following Leshawna around trying to "win back her heart." Izzy and Beth were swimming in the pool.

And me? I was talking to Bridgette, who wasn't making out with Geoff due to him making sure the party was going strong.

However, the other couples did the most typical thing that they could do at parties: make out.

Normally, during parties, I would shake my head and roll my eyes at the couples who shamelessly devour each others mouth. But then, I saw him.

No, not Alejandro. Though he was nice to me, I realized that it was just a crush and for some reason I couldn't like him like I liked that other guy.

Yes, Duncan.

I hate how he cheated on me yet it feels like I'm the one who suffered the most. Duncan cheated yet still got somebody. Me? I was faithful yet I'm left with almost nobody except Bridgette. Yeah, life sucks.

I must've been staring too long because Bridgette said, "You still like him, don't you?"

I could feel my cheeks warming up. Am I really that easy to read?

"Psh, no. I told you, Alejandro was just a stupid crush," I said trying to play dumb and trying to laugh it off.

However, she didn't laugh or crack a smile. She just said, "You know that's not who I was talking about."

I looked back at Gwen and Duncan. I looked at how they made out. I looked at how happy they were. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes.

"It's not right," I tell her. "He cheated on me. I should be disgusted by him. I shouldn't even be thinking about him yet here I am wishing that I could make him happy like Gwen is. Why is this happening?"

Bridgette looked like she was going to answer back, but then Geoff yelled out, "Hey everybody! Let's take the party inside and watch our reality show from season one!"

Everybody cheered and went inside. Except for me. I stayed out. When Bridgette saw that, she was going to stay out too, but her boyfriend dragged her in.

And now, here I am. Alone.

I go under the food table and grab the box that says _Duncan_ with my handwriting. Next, I find some wood that I set aside and grab out my lighter (dating Duncan really changed me). I set the wood on fire and watch it glow.

* * *

No one's POV

Little did Courtney know, that she was not alone. Gwen and Duncan decided that instead of watching reruns of the show, they would stay outside and make out some more.  
However, when they saw the campfire and Courtney, they decided to spy on her instead.

"Why would she just stay out here instead of going inside," Duncan wondered out loud.

Gwen glared at him. "What does it matter? Let's just make out. Why do we need to spy on Courtney?"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't both of them that decided to spy on her.

"Cause," Duncan said. "Who knows what kind of secrets she has?"

"Why would you care about that?"

That stumped Duncan. Why did he care what Courtney thought or what she was doing? He couldn't seem to answer that question. But still, his curiosity was getting the better of him and he had to know what was going on.

"Is that my name on that box?"

* * *

Courtney's POV

"There you are!"

I turn around and put on a small smile. It was Bridgette. I guess somehow she was able to escape from Geoff to check up on me.

"What are you doing?" she asks sitting next to me with a smile.

I show her the box in my hand, and by the expression that she has on her face, I guess she understands what's about to happen.

"Well, I guess traveling around the world, you didn't have enough time to throw that old thing out." she said trying to make it into a joke. I tried to smile at it, but I couldn't.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, but then Bridgette asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I think of all the things I put of Duncan in there. Photos, letters, my boyfriend list,... the skull.

"No," I reply. "I don't want to do this. These are the last memories I have of when my life was good and when I had, well you know, him." I start to tear up. "But I know that I have to do this."

"Why? Why don't you just stash it somewhere? He obviously was a huge influence on your life. Why would you want to burn it all up?"

She had a good point. Why was it now that I decided to take out this box and destroy it? Why couldn't I leave this somewhere like I did before?

And then I thought of Gwen and Duncan making out at the party.

"Because," I say. "This box, whenever I look at it, it kind of gives me hope that one day we could get back together. That our relationship would be just like it used to be. But I have to come back to reality. He likes Gwen. There's nothing I can do about it. I'm tired of waiting for him to come back. I need to move on."

* * *

No one's POV

Gwen couldn't believe her ears. Courtney was finally going to leave her and Duncan alone!

"Yes finally!" said Gwen with excitement.

"Shhhhhh"

Gwen looks up at Duncan and raises one of her eyebrows. Isn't this what he always wanted?

"Come on," said Gwen. "From the time we first got together she's been on our backs. Aren't you even relieved that we can make out in peace?"

Duncan rolls his eyes, but inside he knows that he should feel the way that Gwen said he should. He should be jumping for joy that his problem would be gone. Instead, he felt... actually, he didn't know how he felt. But it definitely wasn't what he was supposed to be feeling.

But the thing that bothered Duncan the most was that somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that he didn't want Courtney to burn their memories. But why?

* * *

Courtney's POV

After confessing what I was planning to do tonight with Bridgette, she hugged me. She hugged me because she knew that even though I didn't want to do this, I still had to at some point in life.

Just as I'm about to throw the box in the fire, she says, "Before you throw away the memories, maybe you should look at them one more time. You know, as a goodbye."

Thinking about it, I decide that she's right and open the box as I look at the first photo stashed in there...

TBC


	2. Our first conversations

The first photo was not a photo of a person. Or of a significant place like the beach. Or the dock. Or the campfire pit. Or even the cabin. No, it was a picture of a lake.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

It was the first day on the island of Camp Wawanakwa. It was also the day of our first challenge. I was quite confident in the team I was placed in. Okay, that was a lie. I was confident in _some_ of the players in my team which lead to my confidence in my team as a whole. Silly, I know.

Victory was going to be mine er ours! Besides, with all of those "popular" teenagers on the other team, I doubted that most of them would jump and jeopardize "getting their hair wet" (I'm quoting because I later learned that Heather actually said this). With that logic, I decided not to jump off the cliff into shark infested water and risk not getting into the safe zone.

It seems that I was a bit _too_ confident. Yes, we lost. Instead of the glory of victory, I was humiliated by my new accessory–the chicken hat.

* * *

**BOTH CHALLENGES DONE**

Still wearing the chicken hat, I was stuck at the loser table with my team while suggesting that we decide who to vote off. Though people seemed uncomfortable to showcase their opinions, one guy blatantly called out the person who needed to leave. Me.

"Well, I think it should be Princess here..."

Even though the first time he spoke of me was not in my favor, I was still surprised that he took me into account and called me a Princess... I haven't heard that ever since my dad... Never mind. (_Present time: _"Since your father what," asked Bridgette. "Never mind! Just listen to the rest of this story!")

Nonetheless, it was still an insult. Therefore, I needed him to be gone. Just... not today.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

The next item in the box didn't look like it belonged there at all. It looked like it should have been thrown in the fire with the other pieces of wood... frankly, it was only a stick.

Bridgette examined the stick, and looked at Courtney quizzically. "So... more fuel for the fire then?" She finally asked jokingly.

I swiped the stick from Bridgette and waved it in her face, almost poking an eye out in the process (I could care less at this point, though). "No! Don't you remember?!"

* * *

**FLASHBACK 2**

It was the dodgeball tournament–a.k.a., the first challenge that the Killing Bass won. You wouldn't expect our triumph, as we were losing quite badly in the beginning of the tournament. The first game, I honestly thought we were going to win. I mean, DJ and Katie, our best dodge ball players were still in, while the screaming gophers were left with that scrawny kid, Cody.

I even said, "Easy out guys," to them.

But, of course, Cody turned out to be a great dodge ball player. That's one of the things I learned while watching the dodgeball tournament. The other things were that Harold and Tyler suck at dodgeball (or maybe sports in general... I wasn't yet sure). However, Tyler had more potential than Harold so I let him play in the second round and... he let us down.

That's when our team finally decided that we needed the neanderthal a.k.a. Duncan.

I was all for the plan, I really was, but the problem was that Duncan had little to no sleep for the past three days, and nobody wanted to be the first to wake him up. Though he did not have a temper like Eva, he still had a temper.

Which is why I suggested that Harold should wake him up (he's the weak link anyway). However, he chickened out. So we searched for things that could wake him up, and we found... a stick.

However, it was better than nothing. With my leadership, we were able to poke Duncan's nose and wake him up. And, just like we expected, he was angry. Luckily, I stepped in to talk to him before he did something to Harold.

"Look," I said. "We are down two to nothing. I can appreciate that you need a little nap time, but we need your help."

He smirked. "Oh, and why should I help you, darling?"

He was trying to intimidate me. I knew that. But, it wasn't going to happen. Not today. "Because, I can guarantee that if we lose, you'll be the one going home, _darling_."

I went closer to his face and stared right in his eyes so that he knew that I was serious.

It took a while, but he agreed on the condition that "we do what [Duncan] says whenever [he] says it."

I was so happy that I would've agreed with anything he said.

And why was that a significant part of our relationship? It's significant because it's the first time we've ever had a decent conversation.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

Present time with Gwen and Duncan

Gwen smirks. She didn't know that any of this happened. Sure, there were always times when Gwen was offered the chance to watch the first season of the reality show, but she always declined. She didn't need to be reminded of her and... him.

"So you almost got her eliminated on the first challenge?"

"Yeah," says Duncan. His eyes were still glued to Courtney and to the box of memories she had. "I almost convinced my whole team to vote Courtney off."

"And what happened that made Ezekiel go home?"

"Well," he says. "Luckily, Ezekiel made sexist comments that made him go home. The kid has a lot to learn about the real world." Duncan smirks. That's exactly what he told Ezekiel at the bonfire.

"What do you mean 'luckily'?"

Duncan freezes. _I said luckily?_ He clears his throat and tries to gain his composure. "Little known fact: I've liked Courtney from the moment I saw her."

"Like love at first sight?"

"Yeah," Duncan says while smiling. "Kind of. And that dodgeball tournament. I learned to respect her because she would not back down from me. No matter what I did."

"I see." Gwen bit her lip. "Too bad she didn't get eliminated first."

That caused Duncan to turn his head and look at Gwen. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if she was gone from the beginning, you guys would never have dated and she would never have bothered us! Isn't that what you wanted?"

Duncan sighs sadly. _Did I want this? I want this, right? _"Maybe."


	3. Not Everything is Good

Courtney stares at the stick for a little while longer. It would be so easy to get rid of that memory. The fire was right next to her, and she could easily throw the stick into it. The memory would be gone forever.

She sighs and holds the stick by the fire...

* * *

"Courtney, please don't do it," whispers Duncan.

"Why would you care if she threw that stick away. It just means that she's getting over you."

Duncan thought for a moment. "When was the last time we had a decent conversation?"

"Exsqueeze me," asks Gwen offended. "We talk all the time! We're talking now aren't we?"

"No," Duncan says. "We mostly make out."

Gwen rolls her eyes. "Of course we do! Because it's fun and we don't expect anything from each other."

"I don't think that's considered a relationship."

"And how would you know that? You only really dated Courtney and look what happened. Train wreck."

* * *

...When Bridgette grabs her wrist stopping her from dropping the stick.

"Remember," says Bridgette. "We agreed to burn everything after we looked at every single memory."

Courtney sighs but nods her head. She reaches inside the box and pulls out the next memory. A hook.

* * *

**FLASHBACK 3**

After the last two wins, I was feeling more confident in my team and in my leadership. Because I woke up Duncan, we won the dodgeball tournament. Because I chose Harold as the replacement, we won the talent contest ("But you didn't let him try out at first," Bridgette says. "That's not the point," Courtney says.). So when Chris threw the map and compass, I knew that I should be the one to take the lead ("But Chris threw it to Duncan..." "Shut it, Bridgette!").

Finding the campsite wasn't tnst hard. Neither was setting up the tent. The hardest part was dealing with the delinquent.

First, he thought that since I'm of the female gender that I would provide the meal. Yeah right.

Then, he decides to tell a scary story. For the record, I cannot handle scary stories. But I was the leader! ("No you weren't...") So therefore, I couldn't show my fear. I had to act courageous. Besides, it couldn't be that scary, right?

Wrong. The story itself wasn't that bad. It was the hook that he brought out at the end that did it for me. As soon as I saw it, I lost it.

...And of course, Duncan that it was funny.

We were in the woods in the middle of the night. We could have been eaten by bears. Some of us could've died! Throw in a scary story and a fake hook, nobody will be sleeping tonight.

So of course, when I heard a noise I jumped... into Duncan's arms. But it didn't mean anything because I didn't like him like that. At least, not during that challenge.

But what was so significant about that fish hook? It was the thing that first lead me into his arms.

**END OF FLASHBACK 3**

* * *

"Well," asks Bridgette.

"Well what," Courtney asks back confused.

"Well what about the part when Duncan caught you sleeping on him? Isn't that significant in some way?"

Courtney sighs. Although people who watched the show would disagree, sleeping on Duncan was an honest mistake. The fact that Duncan had made it seem like it was her fault made the situation even worse.

"It was a significance," says Courtney trying to choose her words carefully. "But not exactly a positive one."

"How so," asks Bridgette.

"Well..." says Courtney bringing her eyes down to the fire. There were a lot of things that people did not know about her, and she planned to keep it that way. But then again, she is alone with Bridgette and what she says at the campfire stays at the campfire... right? "I kind of had a boyfriend," Courtney mumbles out hoping that Bridgette would not hear.

"You had a what?"

* * *

Gwen smirks. This was just too much. _Courtney's such a hypocrite. She also cheated on her boyfriend yet she acts like Duncan and I are beneath her._ Gwen then pulls out her cell phone and was about to hit the record button when...

Duncan snatches the phone out of her hands. She glares at Duncan. _How dare he. _"What do you think you're doing," asks Gwen. "This is great for blackmail. For all the times she treated us like crap."

"Explain."

"Well," says Gwen. "She purposely cuddled up to you which means she also cheated on her boyfriend."

Duncan rolls his eyes. "That's a crappy thing to hold against her."

"How so?"

"First of all," Duncan says while turning his eyes back on Courtney. "I knew she had a boyfriend. Second of all, I was the one who pulled her on top of me while she was asleep causing him to break up with her."

"You mean like how you bullied Trent to becoming crazy so that I would break up with him and date you?"

"You have a wild imagination. But no, I didn't cause your breakup. Besides, I was still into Princess during that time."

Gwen purses her lips together. _It sounds to me that he worked a lot harder in getting Courtney than in getting me._ "You're still not over Courtney, are you?"

Duncan turns around and looks at Gwen. What could have possibly made her think that way? "What makes you say that?"

"You just called her Princess."

* * *

Courtney thinks back to the day when the alleged cuddling had happened. "I tried," Courtney says. "I tried to explain in the confessional that it was a mistake. But he still broke up with me. And for a little while it hurt." She closes her eyes waiting for the pain to come into her heart. But it does not show up. Bridgette pats Courtney's shoulder lightly. _I never knew that there was more to Courtney than she let out. I wonder what else she's been hiding._

* * *

AN: What else has Courtney been hiding from the show and her fellow contestants? Any guesses?

Also, if you have any questions for me (about my stories/future story plans/about me/etc), don't be afraid to ask in the reviews. I'll try to answer them in the next chapter.

P.S. Constructive criticism is welcome.


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